London -- Guests, including Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet, escaped uninjured when fire destroyed Richard Branson's Caribbean home in the middle of the night, the British businessman said Monday.

"My office was based in the house and I have lost thousands of photographs which is very sad," Branson said.

He said he planned to rebuild the house "as soon as we can."

"We'll all stay here for the time being," he said. "There's a lot of damage and we won't be able to stick it back together again right away."

Virgin said the cause of the fire was still being investigated but lightning was the likely culprit.

Branson, 60, bought the island in the early 1980s and began building the Great House in 1982. He also has developed an exclusive eco-resort on the island showcasing renewable energy technology.

Winslet, 35, shot to international stardom with her appearance opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in James Cameron's "Titanic," and sealed her reputation with a Best Actress Academy Award in 2009 for "The Reader."

She has two children, 10-year-old Mia and Joe, 7, from marriages to directors Jim Threapleton and Sam Mendes.